Four years ago, Mr.George W. Bush decided to change the lives of 25 million people, permanently. I will tell you how I lived and saw these long, probably the longest, four years.When the war started, we had strange feelings towards it. We wanted Saddam to go, but we did not want our country to be invaded. Iraqis have resisted the invasions for thousands of years. I just could not live with the idea that American troops will be wandering around in our lovely Baghdad. I promise you I will write a series of articles about the war, but now is just not the time.After the occupation of Baghdad, I could not believe the looting that happened. The American as well as the Arabic news channels made it look like all the Iraqis are merely thieves. No one focused on the loyal and honest state employees who kept working during all the days of war, the bakeries that remained open all the time, the brave doctors that remained in the hospitals away from their own families, and more and more of the bright sides of the Iraqi people. All we could see or hear in the news was the looting and bank robberies. The thing with all the people all around the world is that they forget, or they act as if they forgot. No one remembered that Saddam let go few thousands of thieves few weeks before the war. He even let go the HIV infected people who were detained in a remote hospital in “Haswa” about 20Km west of Baghdad.The first year of occupation, as compared to the next three years, was heaven. The attacks were concentrated on the occupants’ troops only. And the only fear you have on the street is that when the American troops show up in the street, there is a great possibility that the will be hit. And when they are hit, they respond in rapid fire all over the place with no distinguishing between anyone. Shops used to open until 9 or 10pm. I used to spend most of my time in ‘Abu-Nu’as St.’ and walk to a friend’s house in Karrada after 10pm. Schools were open and the students were real students going to schools to learn. The electricity had its ups and downs, but on average, we would have 2 hours of electricity out of 6. The water was cut for at least 2 days a week. But we were living. What I mean by ‘we were living’ is that we were doing our best to adapt with the horrible way of living. I can not tend to forget that Iraq is the richest country in the world.At the end of the first year of occupation and the start of the second year, attacks began to move in another direction. All people working with the American troops became targets. And gradually during the year, government officials became targets. And by government officials I don’t mean the ministers that the occupation brought, or the governing council. I mean the small officials that have no huge group of bodyguards or fancy cars terrorizing the people passing by them. The attacks against the American troops began to hurt Iraqis. The bombed cars started killing dozens of Iraqis while ‘injuring’ one or two American soldiers. Attacks of Al-Qaida and other parties started to target the new Iraqi law enforcement troops. The Iraqi police, by the end of the year, became the primary target of attacks. Shops started to close up at 8 and 7pm, according to the area. Some areas ended up being extremely dangerous for the daily attacks conducted there. Places like Adhamiya, Amirya, Dawra, and Haifa St. became war zones. The electricity became worse. On average we had one to one and a half hours out of six. The water was out for about 3 to 4 days a week. Of course, the prices of everything started to rise. This was due to the lack of electricity which costed the merchants extra money for the generators and fuel. Oh the fuel. It took us about 4 to 6 hours to get benzene for the cars and generators. And we were adapting again.During the third year, things started to collapse rapidly. I had so many near death experiences. I was there in the explosion of a bombed car. I got caught in the middle of cross fire twice. I witnessed three roadside bombs. Few more things happened that I consider negligible. In the third year, and after two really near death experiences, I decided to leave. I could not take it anymore. And my family was very worried about me because I am always out of the house. So, I left to Jordan. And until now, I am still in Jordan. The last time I visited Baghdad was about 15 months ago.The attacks now started targeting Iraqi people. This is because Iran and Al-Qaida agreed on eliminating the Iraqis. Iran started to convince the Shiite that the have had enough of Sunnis. Iran convinced the Shiite that all Sunnis are either with Al-Qaida or at least have some sympathy with them. Iran started to make the attacks on Iraqis look like on Shiite people only. And Al-Qaida responded by announcing that Shiite are as much as an enemy as the Americans. And that started the snow ball. Things started falling apart very quickly. Sectarian violence started to rise on the surface more clearly.It really hurts me to write these words. It’s just so sad to see all this harmony of the people who lived together for thousands of years falling apart like that. Life used to be easier. And love was in the air. But now, the only thing in the air is bullets. And the smell of roses I used to enjoy in our garden everyday was replaced with the pure smell of blood.Starting from February, 2006, when the two shrines in Samarra were bombarded, the end had started. Sectarian violence was taken to the peek. And it has come to a point were you don’t need a reason to be killed. Your name is adequate to get you into trouble. And sometimes, death becomes your least worries.I can’t just write about how the electricity was or the shops were opened or not. It is only death that I can remember during the last two years. Thousands of people died because no one said no. No one was man enough to think. Is this what we really want to end up to?Its just so hard to put down in word all the frustration, anger, and agony I feel right now.I am sorry I can’t go on.

I can understand the ambivalent feelings about having your country invaded. But I think you are underplaying the fact that there is absolutely NO WAY Saddam would have been gone without the invasion. You can choose to drink or you can choose to be dry. But you cannot choose to drink AND be dry.

The point is that the US deposed one of the Middle East’s worst tyrants and imposed democracy for it’s own safety: because tyranny in the ME had proven to be a toxin that had threatened the safety of its own cities. After 12 years Iraq fortunately/unfortunately for you was at the top of the US’s “to do” list. Some vitally important long term good has come to Iraqis from Saddam’s deposing (if we don’t give up), and a lot of short term bad has arisen too.

But good or bad for Iraqis was not the *primary* reason for the US’s decision to invade. It was self-preservation. Making something good in Iraq is not *primary* responsibility of the US — it is the responsibility of Iraqis like you.

CMAR II,
First, I’d like to welcome you in my blog.
I cannot agree with you that there is ‘absolutely no way’ to get Saddam off. We all know that the price of freedom is blood. And I believe that if ALL iraqis turned against him in a systematic way, we would have lost less people than what we are loosing now.
And I agree with you that the US invaded Iraq for the US’s favor not for the Iraqis. What is happening now in Iraq is a direct product of that.

If, if, if, if, if, if…
In the US, we have a saying: “If a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump it’s butt when it jumped.” It means, essentially, “saying ‘if’ doesn’t make things happen”.

The point is that it was not going to happen that every single Iraqi would rise up against Saddam. That was tried in 1991. The Iraqi army slaughtered those who rose against him. I wasn’t there but the estimates seem to be in the neighborhood of 20,000-100,000 Iraqi Kurds and 60,000-130,000 Shi’a Arabs. How much more sacrifice would you demand of Iraqis?

The US waited 12 years for that tact to work all to no avail. In that time, Saddam imported Sunni Arabs (especially Palestinians) from neighboring countries where he was more popular than he was among Iraqis. He gave them benefits that he denied ordinary Iraqis to bring them in and buttress his power. So in the end, not only were there fewer Iraqis alive that were willing to oppose him, there were all new imports willing to support him.

The US military deposed Saddam. But there is no easy method for rooting out the little Saddam in the hearts of Iraqis that to various extents had been established by Iraq’s former President. My heart breaks for the Iraqis right now. But what Iraq is now, is primarily what Iraqis have made of it.

Maybe by using Saddam’s methods, Bush could have avoided most of this. But I don’t see how the US could have established a new liberal Iraq AND prevented every Iraqi from using that freedom badly.

Very touching entry. Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion about the war.

Akhoya… Life goes on and Iraq needs us. I know this sounds like a cliche which most Iraqis don’t believe in these days. But we are the only hope for Iraq. I am damn serious about what I am saying. I WILL go back to Iraq sooner or later and use all my experience again to help it become a better country. I sacrificed a lot by going out to dangerous places to cover stories that no one could reach. It wasn’t for me. It was for Iraq and for its benefit. It was shut the mouths of those who say life is rosy under the occupation. I wrote them to those who really want to help Iraq. And this is nothing compared to the sacrifices of many people.

All of us will go back and help our country back. Mark my word.

PS- I loved your new layout. It’s awsome. These are my favorite colors

BlogIraq: I am so sorry for the loss of your home and family. I cannot imagine the chaos and uncertainty that has become of your life. Know that my thoughts are with you in that you can find peace somewhere and be happy.

CMAR II: How easy it must be to be an American in your comfy home with electricity, power, freedom, and all the amenities the US has to offer and point your finger at Iraqis and say “it is the responsibility of Iraqis like you” to make something “good” come of Iraq. WTF man?! I would like to see YOU try that if chaos came to this country. Imagine if there was no American goverment and the Catholics, Jews, Baptists, etc all decided to take up arms and enforce laws based on their interpetation of their religion. Now try it with a gun pointed at your head and bombs going off. Now try it with your wife and kids’ lives being threatened and all the while you still need to make a living and put food on the table.

As bad as things were in Iraq with Saddam in power, at least the Iraqis knew the “laws”. Now the laws are being enforced by anyone who has a gun and the laws are up to individual interpretation.

I am not anti-American. Quite the contrary. And belive me I certainly appreciate my “comforts” and “securities” and I don’t have a blind eye turned towards what it took to get that. However, I am not saying “screw you Iraqis” either. This is a “Catch 22 War” where now that the initial invation has happened there will be ensuing death and chaos whether the Americans pull or or whether we stick around and try to pick up the pieces. Regardless, this isn’t going to happen overnight.

Just try to have some compassion for those who are feeling the brunt of all this. Try to see it from their point of view.

When people start any clause with “at under Saddam…” I know they are itching to try my patience.

At least under Saddam, the Kurdish region had NO electricity and no sewage or water AT ALL for TWElVE years. At least under Saddam in 1991 at somewhere in the neighborhood of 100K Arab Shi’a were massacred in a single purge and some 40K Kurds. At least under Saddam villages were literally rubbed out for having insurgents in them (I’m not talking Fallujah “rubbed out”, I mean GONE.) At least under Saddam people went without medicine Saddam embezzled Oil-for-Food handed out goodies to imported Arabs, to towns like Ramallah, Samarra, and Tikrit, and to build ever more lavish palaces. At least under Saddam kept armies on their borders to defend against the threat of another invasion (Saddam attacked two separate neighbors in a single decade). At least under Saddam there was literally zero independent thought (one Iraqi blogger mentioned being afraid to sleep lest he *dream* something revolutionary).

So please spare me all the good sides to Saddam, lest I puke. And then I’m going to ask, so things were better then? For WHOM? And who could ever hope for better?

CMARII,
Its nice of you to talk about Iraq like you know everything. LEt me ask you one question; why Europe is full of Iraqi Kurds who escaped from Kurdistan after 1991??
I’ll answer that question by a summarized sstory.
Kurds escaped from Kurdistan even when it was out of Saddam’s control because they hated “Masoud Barzani” And “Jalal Talbani” as much as we (the Iraqi-Arabs) hated Saddam.
Mr.President Jalal Tarazani, sorry Talbani, and Mr.Barzani robbed Kurdistan after 1991. They even disassembled the electricity generaters and smuggled it to Iran. They sold everything that was built in there to Iran. And then they started to gather donations for the poor people of Kurdistan. They took the Kurdistan share of the “Food for Oil” program and did NOT spend it on the people there. Kurdistan people lived in poverty while Talbani and Barzani transferred the people’s money to their Switzerland bank accounts. Even now, no re-construction work is done in Kurdistan without the commisions given to both of them. If the people of Kurdistan were so happy to live out of Saddam’s control, why did they leave Iraq to Europe? It was because they suffered the same dictatorship we suffered from Saddam, but from their two “Hero” leaders.
You can ask any kurdish person how true is that.
CMAR,
A 9 year old child who lived in IRaq, knows better than the Americans living abroad.
Regarding the 1991 massacres that happened for the Shiite in the south. This whole movement was backed by Iran. And was originally triggered by Iran. But the thing is, Bush the father was wiser than his son, and decided not to have an Iran-backed government in Iraq even if it would take away Saddam. Do not forget that it is the US that allowed Saddam to attack the Shiite movement in 1991. And they allowed him to use helicopters to finish them.
The problem with the people in the south is that they are too loyal to the religious figures to disobey them. And the religious figures, as I see them, are always driven by non-Iraqi forces. This goes for the Sunni religious figures as well. The problem is that there is no %100 Iraqi religious figures are being followed by people. The Shiite clercks are guided by Iran, and the Sunni clercks are guided by Saudi-Arabia.

BT,
I totally agree with you. The destruction cause by the US in Iraq can not be corrected by people other than the Iraqis themselves. But the sad thing is that it would take a long time for people to understand that there is no point of fighting anymore.

Aziah,
Welcome in my blog.
Thank you for the warm feelings about the suffering of the Iraqi people. The thing with most Americans I’ve come accross is that they feel like they did us such a huge favour that we don’t have the right to complain at least.
Please come around more often.

I apologize for repeating what I posted here. I seem to have got confused about which post I was responding to.

Look. I need to know if I’m misunderstanding your terms or if you are viewing the world in terms in which I’ll need to space ship to connect with you. So: You have told me twice that Saddam was “not a Sunni Muslim”. What in the world do you mean by that? That he was not born to Muslim parents? That he was Christian or Jewish? That he was Shi’a or Sufi? That he was an infidel? That we he wasn’t sufficiently observant? Because I know Shi’a Muslims that don’t want to claim Sadr, but that doesn’t mean Sadr isn’t a Shi’a Muslim. So please clarify this.

As to your last response:
You are under a misapprehension, that I have wandered off the street. I am in constant contact with Iraqis in Iraq including (especially) Kurds. If you think Kurds left Iraq because they were torn from the able leadership of Saddam by Barzani and Talabani, then you might as well have been born on the moon for all the insight it has given you into Iraqi Kurds.

Iraqi Kurdistan was cut off from the Iraqi power grid by Saddam after he lost control of it. The power equipment they sold to Iran was useless for 12 years. Barzani and Talabani did not act as angels as they squared off for political control rather than put the good of their people first. It would not surprise me at all if they used some of the Oil-For-Funds for their organizations, but your implication that the Kurds got all the money due them from Saddam but their leaders stole it is nothing more than Saddam�s B.S.

Iraqi Kurdistan in the 1990s was a hell-hole for a lot of reasons. Not all of them were Saddam�s doing. But if you think the Kurds (as a whole) did not view Saddam as their primary oppressor, then you don�t know them.

�-

The fact that there were Shi�a in Fallujah and Sunnis in Basrah and Arabs in Erbil is totally�beyond any discussion�irrelevant. That doesn�t change the fact that Fallujah was always *predominantly* Sunni. And that many people in the far western parts of Anbar never knowingly had a Shi�a enter their villages. The south of Iraq was always *predominantly* Shi�a. Your assertion that you �knew Sunnis� that lived and worked there is an absurd straw-man. Iran has agents in southern Iraq because it is predominantly Shi�a. It is not predominantly Shi�a because Iran exported agents there. That�s ridiculous.

This discussion has been enlightening to me however in that it fleshes out more fully the myths Iraqi Sunni tell each other about Iraq and Saddam. The fact that Arab Sunnis are steeped in so much counter-evidenciary lore explains a lot about Iraqs problems.

Having learned the following from you, I don’t know what else you can teach me:
1) Southern Iraq is not predominantly Shi’a Muslim.
2) Western Iraqi is not predominantly Sunni Muslim.
3) Saddam was not Sunni Muslim.
4) Kurds did not consider Saddam their oppressor from 1991-2003.

CMAR II: I just wonder why it is so important for you to impress upon everyone your political “inside” knowledge of Iraq? Even to Iraqis. You come across like you are the head of Bush’s psychological war-fare department…justifying this war. I ask you…why is it so important for you to make America look like we are “in the right”? Is it possible that there is some pluses and minuses to having started this war? Is it possible that Bush got in over his head? Is it possible that maybe he would have done something different in hind-sight? You come across like everything was run perfectly and to a “T”..forgetting about real people, innocent people…on ALL sides…that are dying. Yes, there was death before. But I wonder if the end justifies the means?

Furthermore, I find it really interesting that you extrapolated what you wanted from my first response to you and ignored the rest.

You are obviously a close-minded radical and nothing anyone says is going to “change your mind”. But I wonder if you look deep enough and ask yourself “why am I so defensive of America on this war” if the answer is because you really blindly follow your leader? or perhaps it is a numbing mechanism to justify what is happening over there?

Aziah,
Thank you for being subjective in what you say. The bottom line in what we are discussing here is decided by the answer of one question; how many Iraqi lives improved by this war?
On the long run, it would take alot of effort and time to stabilize the millions of lives affected by this war.

Sorry to camp out here a little longer, BlogIraqi. I’ll just finish my conversation with Aziah and be on my way.

Aziah,

I’m here because of my long term interest in Iraqi and Iraqis. I didn’t respond to the rest of what you said because, since it was not factually based, I can’t refute it or confirm it. The “at least under Saddam” comment was factually based so I could have something to respond about it. If you look at the conversation BlogIraqi linked to in his last post, you will see that I responded to his assertion with an assertion from another Iraqi blogger in Baghdad who is in a position (possibly a better one) to know about the subject.

I respond as I do…especially regarding the “at least under Saddam” comment…because I have a low tolerance for B.S. I want Iraq to succeed — you have no idea how much. But Iraq’s progress is being hobbled by Iraqis who coddle dead-end and dead-wrong delusions that Iraq’s difficulties in achieving a stable prosperous democracy are primarily caused by someone else (whether it be the US, Iran, or foreign jihadists) rather than certain Iraqis. Iraq requires an Iraqi solution: not an anti-American solution, or anti-Shi’a solution, or anti-Sunni solution. That kind of backwards thinking has led to Iraqis excusing attacks on Coalition troops, attacks on Iraqi Sunni Arabs, attacks on Iraqi Shi’a Arabs, and even excusing Saddam’s attacks on all Iraqis….in short, excusing all the things troubling Iraq today.

…your “work”? Is that delegated by the American government? or from a “higher power”? or perhaps self-ministered?

I figure you are either a military/goverment official and this is your propaganda “work” or you are some whack-job who gets his rocks off by starting debates with Iraqis. Either way, you are a fool if you think you are getting anywhere with this band-aid work. Especially using “facts”…as you call them…and disregarding anything pertaining to the emotional side of this conflict. Regardless, how do you expect Iraqis to “agree” on something as big as the state of their country…especially one that is so entertwined with religion…when you can’t even get anyone to agree with you on these posts…even an American?! Sounds to me like you are doing a pretty piss-poor job of “appealing” to Iraqis. If I were your boss, I would fire you from your “work”.

As to whether or not the Iraqis lives were improved by this war…from what I read most people’s lives only got worse. And they will remain so for a very, very, very long time.

Aziah,
You are a fellow with no sense of humor. Since, I don’t know what you read I can’t diagnose your problem.

I’m pretty sure the lives of top officers in Saddam’s military are worse. I’m sure the lives of members of Saddam’s secret police are worse. Same for the inner circle of Saddam’s government. The lives of Kurds in the northeast are relatively good and steadily getting better despite their neighbors putting road blocks in their paths (they are greatly envied by the Arabs in Baghdad and the Kurds in Iran, Turkey, and Syria). The lives of Shi’a in the south are relatively peaceful (oh! I forgot. There are no Shi’a in the south!). Even Sadr City (ignored by Saddam) is finally getting attention and improvement.

The (primarily) Sunni Arabs who could not accept that Saddam was gone made things difficult in Baghdad and elsewhere and their coddling of foreign Sunni jihadis finally led to Shi’a militias being given a free hand by the people to increase the misery of Sunni Arabs. But that’s not because Saddam went away. It is because he never went away in the hearts of a lot of Sunni Arabs. (which is strange since I’m told by BlogIraqi that Saddam was not a Sunni Muslim…was he Arab?).

When you say worse, you must define by what standards. By standards of freedom of expression? Of communication. Freedom to have blog on the internet and say you think the goverment sucks? Freedom to have cell phone and call whoever you want? Freedom to practice your religion or study your non-Arabic heritage? Freedom to emigrate to Jordan and elsewhere? The economy of Iraq is reportedly growing at a brisk rate. Yes, it’s not great but that’s because it was so bad to start with…that was Saddam’s doing.

CMARII,
I believe I have had enough of your BS. If you like to proceed flooding the BS all over the world, please care to take it to your website.
You are not welcomed here neither is your childish way of discussion. Your recklessness of what other people think or say is just untolerable in this blog.

About this blog

This blog is not a political blog. I am just an ordinary Iraqi person. I do not support any political party. Especially the political parties in Iraq. This is not because I don't have an opinion of my own, its just that they are the worst that can happen in any country.

I have participated in the elections and gave a blank paper. Its because I support democracy but I found no one worth voting for. And I did not want to participate in the blood baths happening in Iraq now.